I think it's okay to still say Merry Christmas! around here, so I would like to start by wishing everybody such.

It sure has been another totally crazy year. Hard to believe where things are at considering where they were - if you take my meaning. I'd like to extend a warm invitation for all friends (who are really more like family) to please come by our place the night of Christmas Day after you are finished visiting with family.We should be ready to receive people around 7pm or so if you are so inclined. We will have decorations up and Christmas music in play. Bring anything you like with you, stay as late as you'd like to, I'm usually up until around 3 or 4 on this night.

Merry Holidays, Seasons Happiness and Christmas Greetings (or some other conjugations of those terms that best suit). Hopefully we see all of you that night!

While this is an older review, the promise of 'true' FPS gaming on the PS3 peaked my interest. Here's what the reviewer posted on the subject:

"For those of you hardcore PC purists, mouse and keyboard controls will be available in the PS3 version through the USB ports on the front of the machine. In addition, the Sixaxis controller will get its usual nod and the motion sensor can be used to control where you look. The Sony rep apologized for it not being accessible on the demo I was playing, and he suggested that it was actually very accurate once you got the hang of it."

The plan is for food at Winstons and movie at Galaxy (Hitman) TONIGHTThe details:

meet at 6pm (or a little earlier) at Winstons for food

see the 7:15pm showing of Hitman (the movie) at Galaxy

Currently Rainswept, Wilknaomics and myself are signed on for the trip, but we are looking for other victims. Food and Movie, or just Food, or just Movie - use your imagination. Maybe post here if you can make it.

The Movie Blog horror writer Serena makes a case for Nicholas Brendan - "Xavier" from Buffy - to be cast as Ash in the upcoming Evil Dead remake.

Sam Raimi has already confirmed that the remake is going to happen, so really, when I look at some of the other folks that have been considered for the role (Stifler for Christ's sake!!) Brendon seems like a damn spiffy choice for me.

I have no time to see these films, but I really want to try and see at least two of them in the theatre over the next three to six weeks. I wonder if anybody else has an inclination and we can start talking about dates and times?

I've put them in order of what I want to see most, but I can be flexible about it.

Beowulf - what more do I need to say? I'll even be okay with the fact that Angelina "I might parachute in and stealth adopt your kid on you if you're not careful" Jolie is in it, as long as she doesn't suck to badly.

No Country for Old Men - I've never heard of the guy who is the 'killer' in this movie, but he looks hella menacing. The only apprehension I have is that the trailer for it self declaratively reported that it is an "instant classic", which sometimes translates as "total shiate". Tommy Lee Jones is in it - which goes both ways sometimes too - so I'm interested.

Lions for Lambs - taut political thriller/action with Tom Cruise and Meryl Streep. But Redford is in charge, and I really like his stuff, so maybe Tom can't or won't Scientoligize the whole project and it will deliver on the promise. Trailer looks great.

Golden Compass - nothing to report here, either you get it or you don't. On a related note, I still haven't seen Stardust (maybe it will be released on Blu-Ray and I'll see it all hi-defy on my anti-gravity field generating 1/2 blu-ray player, 1/2 video game machine*).

Hitman - I know, I know. It's a slashie (game/movie), but it looks like it might be neat. You'll also notice it's last on the list, but if enough people want to check it out, let's roll.

* or that Scottish Console for those of you who've been paying attention the last couple months.

Live long and prosper my friends! But just in case you wear a red uniform, or are planning on sacrificing your life to save the universe (again...) you may want to spend some of your soon to be useless galactic credits to buy yourself a Star Trek themed coffin or urn.

Time travel accidents or cellular regeneration on Genesis planets leading to resurrection is solely the responsibility of the customer.

Please ensure you have a significant other before purchasing one of these items, otherwise you will, in all likelihood, negate any chances of getting laid anytime soon!

Forced to give your email address?Want to track where things come back from?

Gmail supports plus addressing, where you can include a bit of text, a 'memo' of sorts, to help you determine where things come from. Check out the linked article - having a Gmail address is one of those gifts that just keeps on giving.

Rock on.

(and Zombie was like 135.48% better than Ozzy, yeah, those are the facts and they are undisputed)

This just kills me. Granted, it contains very strong language and pretty stupid and mindless humor, but everytime Mario dies I can't help but giggle. The "worst thing ever" comment in the second video still makes me giggle every time I think about it.

When big oil/old energy funds research, the impression is always that the research is tainted. But I'm starting to wonder what research isn't? I think the problem is that we live in such a deeply partisan society now, that the majority of research begins with an established conclusion firmly in mind.

It feels like the earth sciences have really lost their way - the search for truth has been replaced by the desire to be right. Just a few examples (at far extremes): Is anthropogenic carbon destroying the world? Is milk good for you?

"A source close to the project and a Fox rep both confirmed that director Xavier Gens is still on board, and the movie will absolutely come out with an R rating. Sources say it will most likely be a “hard R,” in fact. Which makes sense, since turning intense action game Hitman into a PG-13 movie would be like making a PG-13 biopic about Paris Hilton: What’s the point?"

I'm sure / hope you have all heard about this, but I'm interested in starting a discussion about it.

Radiohead is releasing a new album, October 10th. They are offering it for sale digitally on their website for "what you want". So you choose how much you want to pay for a digital version of their album. For the collectors you can also order a huge box set that has 2 cds, art, records, and other stuff for 40 pounds or something.

What is everyone's thoughts on the actual album though? I currently pre-order it for $0 with the intent that once I listen to it, I will decide how awesome it is, and the buy it again for more to support the band, and this means of album distribution. I really like it because I don't like having the physcial cd crap cluttering my room, and I'll rip it to digital right away anyway, and put it on my ipod, and likely not touch the cd again. However, I can see how this wouldn't work as well for an unknown or less popular artist. Although costs are dropped immensely as there is not physical printing, so even if your fans are cheap, it is money going straight into your pockets as profit. Especially when you see stats that say only about $1 of a cd sales goes to the artist. I can't imagine even the evil cd pirates objecting to getting a full album for only $1 which would give Radiohead as much profit as a normal cd. Plus I don't have to give a cut to the evil corporations that I think are hurting music more than helping it.

Hey all, here is a site that I frequent, even though it is not updated all that often. The content that he talk's about is things that I am interested in, and I think that a lot of you will be as well.

Give it a look and I hope you enjoy.

P.S. Lord Jim, you should watch the video on the latest post, it is a bit long, but you will get a kick out of it...

It's confirmed! They're making Spider-Man the Musicaland it seems to be inducing in me a combination of laughter and mini-vomiting...

Music and lyrics by Bono and The Edge (does his wife call him The?).Really guys and gals, if some Hollywood-Broadway puds can waste this much time and money on a project that was probably conceived during a 48 hour E and cocaine binge we aren't we merging our talents to at least make something original? I mean Kyro and I were joking about making a full-cast radio play for fun, why not do that and make our own first million?

I've been playing in a new weekly D&D game lately. One of the features of the game is an online campaign wiki where we can put in-character and out-of-character talk, to allow us to role-play a bit between sessions. It works brilliantly. If I ever get to run a game again, I'll certainly be using this technique.

I thought that I might post a few of the bits I have been writing for my character, a Barbarian from northern Forgotten Realms named Vaa-dain, just for people to read and comment if they want to. I guess I'll start with his background, and maybe add a tid-bit here and there over the next couple months of the campaign.

--------------------------------------Vaa-dain

Uthgar (Human) Barbarian of the North (Clan of the Great Wyrm)

Age: 21 Height: 5'10

Born with true white hair and dark green eyes, Vaa-dain was never comfortable with his own people. As soon as he was able to carry a spear, he began keeping his own company along the periphery of the territory that his clan had laid ancient claim too. In this role he became valuable to his people as a first-contact, intercepting those who would enter clan lands unannounced before they could penetrate deeply. The most important accomplishment during this time was his brokerage of a truce and trade arrangement between the clan and the mysterious Winter Witches of the darkest northern netherwood. Vaa-dain enjoyed the company of the witches.

As adulthood approached, he began to recognize a certain sensitivity to the arcane. This inclination did not go unnoticed to a certain other young and ferocious warrior of the clan - Rha-zuul - the last son of the great Zuul-Huk-Sho bloodline and future Chieftain. Rha-zuul saw that Vaa-dain would often easily ascertain the purpose of mystical objects and conversed well and comfortably with travellers that would come into their great frosted forest home. When the Winter Witches would come to trade with the clan they would always seek Vaa-dain out and prefer his company over any others. This made Rha-zuul very jealous of the perceived unearned status Vaa-dain enjoyed with these mystics and other powerful travellers. To this insult was added the injury of the fact that Eura-zuul - daughter of the chieftain and sister of Rha-zuul - clearly doted on Vaa-dain.

On one occasion, a travelling half-elven wizardess by name of Azure-Skye stopped within the tribes dense boreal pines with her troupe so that they might rest and stock provisions. She told of their journey north toward the great spine of the world to seek secrets lost there in ages past. Vaa-dain invited them to spend their night with the clan, in safety. Breathtakingly beautiful and radiant with power, she passed over Rha-zuul to spend her time with Vaa-dain and to ask him very unusual questions about his family. She sensed something in him, as he did inside himself. Rha-zuul was furious.

A day passed after Azure-Skye had departed with her adventuring company, and in the very early moments of particularly cold dawn a host of black riders came roaring into forest and stormed the clan hold. They demanded information about a half-elven vagabond thief known to be in these parts. Rha-zuul wasted no time in telling them anything they wanted to know about the wizardess and her chosen path toward the worlds spine. Vaa-dain loudly objected to this betrayal of the stranger, but the chief stood with his son in acquiescence to the requests of the black host of riders. With great laughter the black riders declared the tribe fortunate, for in exchange for their information they agreed to take but one person alive, instead of all of them dead. The Chieftain and his son struggled as mightily as they were able, but could not stop the black armored riders from storming off with Eura-zuul.

Rha-zuul pointed to Vaa-dain. If Vaa-dain had not invited the bastard elven bitch to their camp, this would not have happened. Others began hissing threats, why had Vaa-dain done this to them? Why had he brought great misery down upon the Zuul-Huk-Sho line? Was he an agent of darkness? With a heavy heart, he knew that the time had come to leave his people. He set off to make his own mark and determine what it was about him that was so different - why was he was created just so?

Though he has been away from his clan lands for barely a year he has greatly expanded his knowledge of the lands of north and grown hungry to understand the reasons why his blood burns with the craving of powerful magic and great treasure. A keen mind and natural cunning are complemented by his great strength. His rages, when let loose, are alarmingly vicious yet disciplined – more thinking predator than blind savage. His predatory nature is tempered by his good judge of character, and he has found brotherhood with an unusual mix of arctic kin - a Snow Elf named Farok and a strange Ice Gnome by name of Taelin.

No matter what else happens, I'm going skiing this winter. My bike trip was foiled by work and weather (equally), but I'm sure I can get away for a two day ski trip if I plan ahead (yeah, go figure).

So, I'm throwing this out there: who skis anymore? I'll go alone if I have to, but it would be cool to try and arrange a group (or even a pair if that's all I can get is one travel buddy*). If you think this is something you'd like to do, post here, or email me.

Some trip planning notes-If we can do it during the week, that is preferred, travel Sunday, ski Mon/Tues/Wed (maybe) and travel Wed/Thurs-I'd like to avoid the Banff/Louise/Sunshine area if possible. I've skied there so much-If we can go through Calgary I might be able to line up a place to stay one night there for free (if our numbers are four or less), but we don't have to go through CowTown if a route to Jasper is selected-I'm willing to go as early as first week of December, I'd prefer not to go any later than first week of March-If you come across any good deals but don't plan to come, at least let me know!

* CPM doesn't really want to ski anymore, she has this ladies shopping trip to Edmonton thing that she likes way better than the mountains - ya, I know she's crazy - like a fox!

As a computer scientist, I've really been enjoying this BBC documentary on four very famous mathematicians: Georg Cantor, Ludwig Boltzmann, Kurt Godel, and Alan Turing. The common thread between these individuals is alluded to by the title of the documentary, "Dangerous Knowledge" -- the monumental and revolutionary discoveries that these people made ultimately drove them to insanity and suicide. While this is not entirely accurate, the documentary is nonetheless fascinating. It's long, at 90min, but in my opinion, worth watching.

I've been listening to the original motion picture soundtrack for "Cool As Ice" for the past week, and I've gotta tell ya, the album is brilliant. The mix of 80's white bread rap/hip hop and slow techno ballads is a welcome change of pace from anything else I've been listening too lately. Here are some highlights:

1. Cool As Ice (Title Track) by Vanilla Ice (feat. Naomi Campbell)What can I tell you? The track opens with this pipes and synths section that is wonderfully musical. Then it moves into the main song section with electronic beats and fantastic sound effects and orchestral work in the background. Add to that the 'epic' V.I. rapping and Naomi Campbell (who sings really well for a model) and you have a wonderfully enjoyable song.

4. Love 2 Love U by Partners In Kryme (feat. Debbie Cole)Smooth mainstream accessible 80's rap with accents of strong vocal work and rolling bass lines. At the time, would have been too radical for radio play, but easily out shines a large body of todays contemporary 80's inspired commercialized techno-ish tracks that get air time.

7. Forever by D'New (feat. Temple)Another pairing of a fairly forgettable electronic act (D'New) with a very memorable elegant and silky voice (Temple) to produce a song that has a much greater emotional impact that you would first think possible. The use of minor root key and subtle discord in juxtaposition with sections of very clever harmony is powerful. This is a song I recently woke up with running in my head. Great stuff.

10. Get Wit' It by Vanilla IceTo seal the deal with his reinvented James Dean image the album finishes with an excellent technically produced piece of electronica. The use of sounds that move in space (stereo imaged) as well as with pitch creates a fascinating listening experience. V.I.'s rapping is, of course, totally self-indulgent, but strangely appropriate once you set the perspective in the mind of a self-absorbed ego maniacal bubble head (and I'm being pretty kind here). There are little tid bits in this song that I intend to lift and remix into something a little heavier.

It's got me inspired to watch the actual film again too. So, I tracked down an avi copy. This is an open invite for people to join me in watching it at my place sometime over the next week or two.Anybody out there willing to take it up with me?

The wet conditions and other time constraints that have been imposed on this weekend make it ill suited to attempt the planned cycle trip. I know there was some interested parties planning on joining me in the wee hours of Sunday morning, but I think we will be looking at a date in September to 'fall' back on (pun intended).

I know there were some others that showed interest, but haven't gotten back to me. Does anybody have a date in Sept. that they think works well? What about the long weekend Monday September the 3rd? If the weather stays relatively dry most of the mud should be passable by then.

These days I'm finding it harder and harder to keep track of the books/authors I have read in the past as well as my "to read" list. I know that among us there are plenty of avid readers as well as internet junkies. Have any of you found a decent website for tracking your reading habits?

At a glance I found http://www.goodreads.com and while it mostly fits what I'm looking for. I don't quite feel that its interface is very good. It also seems to be missing an easy way to track favorite authors.

Most bizarre is certainly the machinations of the Vanscoy Highway Committee, of which I am the last (and youngest) member of NINE persons!

For those who do not know, allow me to quickly summarize...

The Dept. of Highways (federal?) has decided that it should complete the twin highway segment from where the highway merges (at the first mine) through to Delisle. Since my town lies along the highway, one of the chief project problems is what to do with us. (BTW - when asked in the provincial house this week about it, our minister for highway development said he had no knowledge of any plan to develop this highway.)

In early July, the engineers office contracted to design the stretch presented three alternative plans for how it could work (really only two as you shall see). At the end of the open presentation, they distributed forms asking for community feedback.

Options 1 & 2 were through Vanscoy where the road is now, with option 2 designed to gobble up the property along the edge of town (i.e. my house). Option 3 called for the new high-speed highway to go north of town - and was clearly the preferred option that the designers wanted to go with. Nobody likes Option 1 (the road through town, narrow, with a lower speed limit). But from my point of view, both option 2 and 3 are great! Allow me to explain...

Option 2: the highway goes through town, they buy my property and I'm forced to move. So, I would buy a lot in the north end of town, and either build a new house, or move my existing house onto a new foundation. This results in no more road noise and a new basement*. I win.

Option 3: the highway goes north around town. I stay where I live. Because of my hugely increased property value, I go ahead with planned reno's in the basement*. This results in no more road noise. I win.

For the last two months I've been meeting with this committee listing to their arguments on how best to convince the Dept. of Highways (and contracted engineers office) that Option 2 (through town, gobble property) is the way to go. We've constructed a clear set of compelling reasons to put the highway through town (there is of course a clear set of compelling reasons to go around town also but the committee isn't really interested in that for the most part, and like I said, I'm okay either way).

After all the wrangling and gnashing of teeth, it looks like the Dept. of Highways plans to go ahead with their original plan anyway - pretty obviously - to go north around town regardless of what us local folks had to say about it.

Now begins the long protracted experience of having no idea what is ultimately going to happen with the project, preventing me from moving ahead with any planned renovations OR relocating. The only bad possible outcome! A perfect situation for preventing me from being able to do anything! I guess I'll keep looking at the same terrible carpet downstairs and putting up with shoddy bathrooms for another FIVE TO EIGHT years while this shakes out.

What kills me about this is, I was in a win/win position, which was a pleasant change. But no, instead we have a conspiracy to make it into a total bummer. You can gag me with an vx missile.

So, it looks like WotC has finally officially announced the impending release of D&D 4 (or should I say 4.0, because we can all see 4.x.x coming down the pipe already). I'm assuming this is at the behest of corporate parent Hasbro to bring the visibility of their flagship RPG system back to the market forefront after the dismal performance of D&D Online against World of Warcraft.

I would have linked this article to the WotC D&D root page, but it is currently having such a high volume of traffic that the server has failed.

There are some interesting possibilities for changes that could make 4e a good system. Less static (more flexible) character classes, the abolition of the division between arcane and divine magic, and the improvement of the usability of the wizard/sorcereous way of spell casting, just to name a few.

In other interesting news, The Gamer: Dorkness Rising will be showing at GenCon this year. Ah, to really embrace the inner Dork. How can you beat that? To wit:

Sometime this month (they won't say exactly when) a 62 year old French man is plunging towards Saskatchewan to attempt the world freefall record of 40 kilometers!

Somehow he's scraped together $14 million worth of funding (hello corporations - if you're looking for tax write-offs I can give you tonnes of useful way to give me your money...). He'll be taking off from Battleford and landing who knows where; so if you hear "Sacre bleu!," "Mon dieux!," or "MERDE!" from above you do not look up, but immediately start ninja-like dive rolls into cover.

Geez, if I'm 62 and looking for excitement I think I'll opt for 26 year old Redhead with scientifically enhanced boobs...

I'm currently trying to find the following movies on VHS or DVD. Some of you may remember these shows, or maybe not. They were pretty 'B' in their time and - from what I've recently read - may not have aged well. But see no reason why that should stop me.

Anyway,

Thursday (1998)- stars Tom Jane (the new Punisher)- another Mickey Rourke film

Nemesis (1993)- is this the only Olivier Gruner film that didn't utterly blow?- feels more New Rose HotelBurning Chrome than any direct film adaptations of William Gibsons work ever did

If anybody remembers these shows, or believes they can be had via torrent or something somewhere, I'd love to hear about it. If Cinemax (a movie channel in the states) has these movie, doesn't that mean there has to be a digital copy around somewhere?

Why is it my fav?Well for starters it's a Canadian site, and even better it's Western Canadian, based out of Calgary. Another nice element is that the reviewers are mostly regular folks, who don't get any freebies, and don't get paid for putting up these reviews. This site sprung up from a writer's collective a couple of years ago so most of the writing is of excellent quality, as well.

Say hello to another product seemingly designed to prove the wise words of carnie king Barnum: "There's a sucker born every minute."

If he was still alive you know he'd be the king of internet shopping madness and probably spend most of his time naked and surrounded by vapid supermodels with breasts designed by these cookies.

Yes, that's right, according to the info at the link the F-Cup Cookies will help girls get bigger boobs. No sane woman would but this shit, but you gotta know that thousands of well-meaning, yet selfish, men will be surreptitiously sliding these suckers into stocking at Christmas time and pretending to know nothing about it.

So between Don and I we finally got a date nailed down for this event which has been in the works for a while, but we just didn't have enough info to distribute until recently. Hopefully a big crew can make it like on Canada Day.

"BBQ Party for two friends"What: Birthday PartyHost: Pepper-Martens' PlaceWhen: Sunday, August 12 at 3:00pm

Please bring chairs if you have a couple. We'll be playing some boche ball, frisbee, tossing a football around and having drinks all afternoon. And let's get more pictures this time, especially of the fireworks show*.

*NOTE: I'm currently looking for people to contribute to the fireworks show, I'm hoping a few people will consider spotting $20 to $40 so we can have a nice display. If you are interested in helping out with that, PLEASE EMAIL ME with how much you can contribute so I know how much to buy before hand.

This is such a relief! I can skip Vista totally and just wait for the release of Windows 7 sometime in 2010. I knew there had to be an upside to this nonsense hiding around here somewhere.

But I suppose a new Windows OS should be no real surprise. Maybe it will have all the innovative new technologies that were supposed to go into Vista that got the ax so they could spit this consumer raping cash machine out.

I suppose it's only natural that the rape of our childhood entertainments continues unabated. After all The Transformers has been a massive success, so much so that we will, in the not-too-distant future, see G.I. Joe, He-Man, Conan, and Dragonlance feature films. And from a past that I still remember (and this is really for you Kyro and Selbonaut) returns the once cutting-edge Reboot.

Keep your eyes peeled kiddies, more blasts from the past are stumbling their way towards a quick bittorrent download...

I enjoy that some companies are trying to find great ways to take something easy, like email, and move it to the future of complex!

I've always dreamed of hanging out beside the pool with my unsorted email. I would delight in watching all my spam being fed to the sharks as well. Although having to wait for all my incoming mail to finish it's conversation with the bouncer, and have it's disinfecting shower may get a little annoying. How to make me enjoy that part, oh, of course, make emails scantily clad females. I wonder how many times I can force them to take disinfecting showers. because I like my email clean, but my games dirty, and this is the first time I can actually combine the two! What other vital apps can I make this change to?

Seriously though, I wonder how much spyware, and other malware junk is nested in this. Looks like a pretty prime app to sucker uneducated high school teens to download. I might download it to a test box, just to find out how much spyware is in there, and for some laughs.

So, I'm almost finished working on a project CD called "Objective" right now. It will have a number of tracks that are somewhat thematically related arranged and put together with finishing touches, track blends, that sort of thing. It has 13 songs, from the past four years (including some final mixes of songs that I may have shown around before).

What I'm at a loss though, is possible cover art designs for the jacket. I thought maybe people around here would take a spin with photoshop (or whatever you use) and throw some ideas at me. If you have anything you think would make good front/back cover art, please suggest/send it to me at my gmail address.

It was board games on Friday, Wilkanomics in da house. MRPM + Guest and CPM of course. Got setup and went at it for three Epochs of Egyptian rule!

Took a less aggressive stance in the first Epoch this time around, thinking that would set me up for success in the second and third, but I was careless with my Sun Tiles, and ended up starting the second Epoch with the 1, 2 and 7 (ouch!). The others certainly smelled blood.

By the end, Wilkanomics had soundly defeated us all, by something like 20+ points over the nearest inferior Pharaoh.

All in all, I would still have to give RA two thumbs up. I particularly like it with a full 5 people so it keeps things interesting (although this one does work with 4 also).

Highs:- diceless game- no "combat" segment

Lows:- sometimes you feel like you are a bit powerless to respond to situations when the game changes on you

Well, I actually did make it out Saturday for the planned walk, and I certainly learned a lot about how the mind and body work (well, my mind and body anyway).

I started my part of the journey at the SaskPlace Husky at about 12:50pm and completed at Ebenezer Baptist Church (fitting, if you know anything about my history) at about 6:45pm. I was very pleased with my progress throughout the day and felt great right up until the approach on Sutherland when my left foot began giving me pain.

The first 10 km's were a cake walk (pun intended), but around kilometer 14 or so, just past the bridge I really started laboring with every step. By the time we reached Eb I was pretty much toast - and I mean that figuratively AND literally, as I was lathered in SPF 45 the whole day and still managed to burn the uncovered tops of my shoulders and unprotected backs of each leg.

Low Points:- falling far short of the complete distance (not even a third)- badgering by a backyard partying hooligan while leaving the golf course- sun burn on the backs of my legs (ouch!)- having such an early physical failure given how fresh I felt mentally still after 6 hours

I have concluded a few things also, which I would like to summarize here, but will be happy to go into detail conversationally if asked:- my mind is far stronger than my body (I guess I sorta thought this already, but it was interesting to have it proven in front of me)- the circuit might be unachievable for me now in a single day given the combination of my age and health with my ability to make time to prepare (but I'm still going to make one more attempt in a single day next summer with Orange)- if the single day attempt fails again next year, I will want to make an attempt that is planned over two days with a pup-tent arrangement at the end of day 1- I want to make an attempt again this summer using mountain/hybrid-road bikes that should be easily completed within a single day at only minor physical discomfort; I'm looking for victi... err... participants for this trip later this summer, mid to end of August I'm thinking

Please come out to our place Sunday night for our Canada Day celebration. We want to kick off with BBQ and beers at around 5pm, and plan to have a pit fire, maybe a game or two (or some cards) and some fireworks around midnight.

It's bring you own meat, and if you want to contribute a side dish to the cause, that would be greatly appreciated (but we should only need a couple things, so not everybody should bring - maybe post here, or on facebook if you plan to bring something).

Looking forward to seeing everybody on Sunday, let's hope we get some good weather.

One might say that I am famous for the stupid things that I do. I'm considered odd at best. Do you want to be thought of as stranger than you already are? Think you know every thing your mother never taught you about walking? Can you drag your ass out of bed at 3:30am on a weekend? Join me in my quest this summer.

[click included photos for full size images, fully linked and annotated]

A while back in a living room not that far away but still a considerable drive*, before there was summer and birds (and wicked wrath of god type rainstorms) outside, Wilkanomics Sr. picked up at 360. We played a whole schwack of nifty games until Jr. says, 'hey, wanna check out 360 Live Arcade?' - ya, sure...

Next thing I know we're sucked into 6 hours of Geometry Wars, yeah.... you know, it's Asteroids made by people who've had one to many hits from the hi-def bong if you'll take my meaning, but hey, any game called "Retro Evolved" sounds like its targeted at my demographic. I probably spent the next three or four weeks trying to figure out how to get it running on my PC (where could a version be found?). I saw some brutal clones, but no dice.

After forking over a paltry $2.50 (yes, two bucks and some change) I was dialing into my own personal "supra-deffy-digi-verse" ** of mayhem and explosive destruction set to groovy techno music. Booyaah!

You too can nab this gem for $2.50 from Steam if you act before June 22nd - but I hear you say it: 'that ain\'t nothin\'!' (script escape characters just for effect)... well.. yes. GW:RE sure lights the fire and gets the johnson to attention, but does it provide that sense of peace and tranquility that I'm always after? Not so much.

For that I turn to an equally good find, but this time on the PS3 (or, "that Scottish console" as I prefer to call it, as I would never utter the letters P, S, and the numeral three when actually around other electronic equipment, but I digress... ***).

The game I refer to is obviously, flOw (brilliantly made all hi-deffy for that Scottish console by SCEA). . So, after having my inner Nameste touched by this game on said console, I came home to find that flOw was originally designed to run in in Flash by Jenova Chen)!

Into the depths with you! err.. me! Try and follow along:

Hey, what am I doing back at the beginning? I just beat this frickin' thing and now.. now... well, now I'm all spherical and serene, and ohh.... I like it... I like it, it's good.... yeah, pass the hydrator please... "tsshhoooooooo.... 'eeer'! "

And, at the end, after fighting the equally large and impressive bad-guy Jellyfish Beasty (who must have come from an equally unimpressive small swirling mote just as I), the game presented me with the most puzzling challenge: to determine if it has crashed, or I had just finished it victorious, or it was never finished, or WHA@!%?.

You see, I nailed the final foe and ate all his good stuff that comes out when a baddy expires, but then there was no more depths to conquer.

I wept.

After all this nice nice, I was pretty spent of course, so I went a browsing through some of the demo games at Steam (have I mentioned Steam yet? huh...) and found a killer demo for, yes, modelling defence condition levels and all out nuclear war (it was really only a matter of time wasn't it).

Ever seen that goon Mathew Broderick in War Games? :[brutal!]: Ya, you have.Now it's on my desktop and waiting for multi-player action. What's it called? DEFCON: EVERYBODY DIES.

That's a nice one brutha!

My point in all of this? Pure Games. These were pure games, with no deep story, no first person reality simulating perspective. I press start, I play the game, I marvel at the perfection of the game design, I'm eventually defeated by the game (GW:RE) or I defeat the game (flOw), but either way, I had a great time, and I seem to be playing these games lots still. I figure it's because these games aren't work - they are PLAY.

Rainswept had a good point the other night: "maybe that's why it's called 'grinding' in the game", yeah, who needs another grind? I'm gonna stick to things I play.

Some of you expressed interest in when I was playing at the Jazz festival. I would love to see you come out for one (or more) of these shows, if you have time. My apologies for the shameless self plug. For those who are interested as well, there is a beer gardens at the free stage, so you can sit outside, have a beer, and enjoy free live music all week. For information on other shows, please visit www.saskjazz.com

Saturday June 23rd, 4pm to 6pm with Paschall and Dahl at the Star Phoenix free stage in Kiwanis Park, by the Band Shell. (Free)

Monday June 25rd, 7pm to 9pm with U of S Summer Jazz Band at the Star Phoenix free stage in Kiwanis Park, by the Band Shell. (Free)

Tuesday June 26th, with Paschall and Dahl at Beily's. I don't know exactly when, feel free to contact Beily's to find out. Also unsure if there is a door charge or not.

Thursday June 28th 7pm to 9pm with Paschall and Dahl at the 2nd Ave Bar and Grill. Reservations are recommended.Saturday June 30th Doors at 7pm, Show at 8pm, with Paschall and Dahl, opening for Oscar Lopez, at the Broadway Theater. Tickets are $27 in advance, or $32 the day of / at the door.

Send me an email if you used to be able to post and can't now for any reason. I've got it on good authority that re-inviting might solve the problem.

Also, if you have a Gmail account now (but didn't then) you would be best to email me from that requesting the re-invite, as said accounts work much better than anything else.

You can also MSN me (I'm djkyro@hotmail.com) to notify/request if you want.

(why am I asking you wonder? well, AngryParrot said the other day he could read but not post for a time, and I'm hoping to get the situations like that sorted out - it's one of the things on my to-do list, and I'm trying to clean it up)

"Man will never reach the moon regardless of all future scientific advances." -Dr. Lee DeForest, "Father of Radio & Grandfather of Television."

"The Atomic bomb will never go off. I speak as an expert in explosives." -Admiral William Leahy, US Atomic Bomb Project

"There is no likelihood man can ever tap the power of the atom." -Robert Millikan, Nobel Prize in Physics, 1923

"Computers in the future may weigh no more than 1.5 tons." -Popular Mechanics, forecasting the relentless march of science, 1949

"I think there is a world market for maybe five computers ." -Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943

"I have traveled the length and breadth of this country and talked with the best people, and I can assure you that data processing is a fad that won't last out the year." -The editor in charge of business books for Prentice Hall, 1957

"But what is it good for?" -Engineer at the Advanced ComputingSystems Division of IBM, 1968, commenting on the microchip.

"640K ought to be enough for anybody."-Bill Gates, 1981

"This 'telephone' has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us," -Western Union internal memo, 1876

"The wireless music box has no imaginable commercial value. Who would pay for a message sent to nobody in particular?" -David Sarnoff's associates in response to his urgings for investment in the radio in the 1920s.

"The concept is interesting and well-formed, but in order to earn better than a 'C,' the idea must be feasible," -A Yale University management professor in response to Fred Smith's paper proposing reliable overnight delivery service. (Smith went on to found Federal Express Corp.)

"I'm just glad it'll be Clark Gable who's falling on his face and not Gary Cooper," -Gary Cooper on his decision not to take the leading role in "Gone With The Wind."

"If I had thought about it, I wouldn't have done the experiment. The literature was full of examples that said you can't do this," -Spencer Silver on the work that led to the unique adhesives for 3-M "Post-It" Notepads.

"Drill for oil? You mean drill into the ground to try and find oil? You're crazy," -Drillers who Edwin L. Drake tried to enlist to his project to drill for oil in 1859.

"Stocks have reached what looks like a permanently high plateau." -Irving Fisher, Professor of Economics, Yale University, 1929.

"Airplanes are interesting toys but of no military value," -Marechal Ferdinand Foch, Professor of Strategy, Ecole Superieure de Guerre, France.

"Everything that can be invented has been invented," -Charles H. Duell, Commissioner, US Office of Patents, 1899.

"The super computer is technologically impossible. It would take all of the water that flows over Niagara Falls to cool the heat generated by the number of vacuum tubes required." -Professor of Electrical Engineering, New York University

"I don't know what use any one could find for a machine that would make copies of documents. It certainly couldn't be a feasible business by itself." -the head of IBM, refusing to back the idea, forcing the inventor to found Xerox.

"The abdomen, the chest, and the brain will forever be shut from the intrusion of the wise and humane surgeon," -Sir John Eric Ericksen, British surgeon, appointed Surgeon-Extraordinary to Queen Victoria 1873.

- "According to the court, CSS (the DRM on DVDs) no longer achieves its protection objective. The court relied on two expert witnesses and said that "since a Norwegian hacker succeeded in circumventing CSS protection used in DVDs in 1999, end-users have been able to get with ease tens of similar circumventing software from the Internet even free of charge. Some operating systems come with this kind of software pre-installed." Thus, the court concluded that "CSS protection can no longer be held 'effective' as defined in law.""

So I hope this means that Hollywood will stop picking on Canada for being the supposed leader in movie piracy and start picking on Finland now.

What to do on yet another cloudy and cool day of the May long weekend, I wondered. Well, I always used to enjoy checking out the kids' art show at the Mendel, so that is what I did. The show seemed a bit small to me, only taking up the space of one gallery, but I did see some interesting and technically skilled pieces.

I knew, too, that there was an 'Artists by Artists' show somewhere... As I was getting ready to leave, tada, I spied the show in the basement -- you know, by the bathrooms...(!!)

Propaganda posters for Saskatchewan. Entertaining at the very least! My fav: A poster for "Red Gopher -- Saskatchewan's No.1 left-wing deep house danceteria and bar" (I purchased 2 card copies of this poster in the gift shop. Not available on coffee mugs :( but you can purchase a t-shirt with your favourite slogan and image. YAY capitalism!)

This looks like something my Dad might even really like. It will all depend on whether or not it comes with enough codec support to literally play ANY video file. So far, seems like VLC is really the Last Video Player I've Ever Needed™, but I guess it doesn't do torrents and stuff.

Both Dark Matter and Dark Energy are so entirely outside my actual daily experience that it seems like a pretty gigantic leap to conclude that the universe is almost totally made up of the stuff. Don't get me wrong, I'm okay with things I can't perceive (gravity, radio waves, etc...) but sometimes when I read articles like this - as I often do to see where modern astrophysics is at - I don't get a deep feeling of satisfaction.

I guess I just need to spend a few more years living in closely controlled laboratory conditions with a strict diet of detailed data or something to really 'get' it.

Perhaps I should swing this little number past CPM? Could make for a damn interesting senior level production! Aside from that, I would really love to go see this. Hopefully it is a big enough success that it makes a run across the country (or at least to Calgary/Edmonton/Winnipeg where I could actually drive to see it).

Also on this note, hate to miss the Circe De Soliel / Delerium show this weekend, but can't be helped. At least Clock and Boxers are going to see it, so I should be able to get some good reviews posted on here if nothing else. Anybody else going?

So, I'll grant you that Don Cherry is a schnook buster (as my grandma used to say)... but maybe he's onto something with this ColdFX stuff. I've had enough regular sick/flu/cold experiences to know how they start, and I can feel one trying to gain ground on me - and right before a wedding no less!

I'm no NHL-ian (NHL-er?), but I'll certainly use anything that staves off such a brutal and senseless assault.

The plan:- Use the ColdFX- Dose on the Vitamin C (lightly to aid in symptom reduction)- keep up with the sun salutations each day *- stay away from the booze and sugars **

I'm through with taking this common cold crap laying down.I'll let you know if the treatment works (and sorry for the misleading post title).

Just thought I'd drop a line to let everyone know I'm leaving London behind to come back home to Canada. I've had a great time, met wonderful people, and seen and done more in the last 2 and a half years then I have over my entire lifetime. Alas, I am homesick and miss my family and friends.

My flight has just been confirmed for July 24 - I'm looking forward to catching up and seeing everyone again.

PS - if anyone wants anything, please let me know as soon as possible - I will probably start shipping my stuff home in the next couple weeks.

Exploration #4 - Inspired by the novel House of Leaves, this track is an experiment in soundscaping and abstract use of atmospherics. It does have musical elements however - I'm partial to the reprise of the filtered attacking synth toward the end (a few of the shorter stab notes have been dropped and the beat is gone allowing it to really float against the noise in the not to distant background).

Ghostheory - Originally called "Game Theory", this track evolved from minimal techno into a thumping floor burning banger. I'm really fond of the transition from the breakdown to the full on beat and then how it is able to slip out of it again. Also, look for the ghost, it's in there (a subtle moving soft almost organic synth sequence slowly appearing and disappearing in the background).

I just saw this, and thought it was too funny. One online company made some decent coin scamming japanese people. My favourite part is that no one noticed until one celebrity whom was scammed was humiliated on TV, then the reports started flooding in.

No one took the effort to google some pictures of poodles to compare them to what they got? Must find some other animal that all the craze in Japan that I can scam people into buying. Who wants gophers?

I came across this video blog that is kind of interesting. She updates daily, and really covers what ever she wants, there is no theme or main topic. The clips seem to be about 3min in length on average. She has links at the bottom of the video to the topics if you want to read more on what she is talking about. Oh, and she is cute too.\

I have been watching it for a week to see if I was actually going to post it, and have had enough enjoyment out of it that I recommend you take a look, but give it a couple of episodes to see if you like it as well, or go back through the archives and watch a few.